Brooks, Joanna, Rachel Hunt Steenblik, Hannah Wheelwright, editors. MORMON FEMINISM ESSENTIAL WRITINGS. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. (324 pages, $27.58).

This volume of “Essential Writings” is needed in every tradition. What a wonderful way to capture the history of Mormon women’s struggles! The Introduction and Key Events time line set out the trajectory of change. A great book for reference and inspiration. Listen to our February 2016 WATERtalk with Joanna Brooks to learn more about this volume.

Chittister, Joan. TWO DOGS AND A PARROT: WHAT OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS CAN TEACH US ABOUT LIFE. Katonah, NY: BlueBridge Books, 2015 (186 pages, $18.95).

Joan Chittister is always on the lookout for spiritual wisdom. She finds a good deal of it in her relationships with animals who charm the socks off of her. How refreshing to see the world through canine eyes, to imagine what a parrot might think, to interact with animals with tails and wings, and to know that how we treat them is an accurate measure of our civilization.

Cupit, Margaret Carlisle and Edward Henderson. WHY, GOD? SUFFERING THROUGH CANCER INTO FAITH. Eugene, OR: RESOURCE Publications, 2015 (146 pages, $20).

Cancer is a tough problem at any age. But when young people have to contend with it there is a special poignancy. This young woman’s story, added to by her grandfather’s reflections, is a painful read about just how complicated it is to deal with the ultimately unanswerable questions of life. Touching, compelling.

Jung, Patricia Beattie and Darryl W. Stephens, editors. PROFESSIONAL SEXUAL ETHICS: A HOLISTIC MINISTRY APPROACH. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013 (244 pages, $19.76).

Local pastors face a range of matters relating to sexuality: changing views of sexual orientation/gender identity, professional boundaries, pornography, pastoral care and counseling. Trusted voices include Kate M. Ott, Cristina L.H. Traina, Susan Ross, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Joretta Marshall, Boyung Lee, Youtha Hardman-Cromwell, Joyce Mercer, among others. This compilation provides a good jumping off point for faith leaders of many stripes concerned with sexual health at home and in the larger community.

Rambo, Shelly. SPIRIT AND TRAUMA: A THEOLOGY OF REMAINING. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010 (186 pages, $19.75).

What happens after the hurricane has passed, after the soldiers have come home from war? How do we aid those who, because of traumatic events, experience the nexus of life and death up close? Trauma theory and theology together demonstrate how reading scripture through the lens of trauma can shed new light on texts and provide new insights on difficult experiences. A helpful read for those who interact with trauma survivors, especially pastors and volunteers.

Richardson, Jan. CIRCLE OF GRACE: A BOOK OF BLESSINGS FOR THE SEASONS. Orlando, FL: Wanton Gospeller Press, 2015 (181 pages, $16).

Ever wonder what a blessing is? Methodist minister Jan Richardson writes, “a good blessing nonetheless shimmers with the mystery that lies at the heart of God.” (p. xv). Here is a collection to try for many occasions.

Roberts, Tom. JOAN CHITTISTER: HER JOURNEY FROM CERTAINTY TO FAITH. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press, 2015 (248 pages, $25).

Tom Roberts, longtime writer for the National Catholic Reporter, has gone deep into the life story of Joan Chittister to illuminate some of the whys and wherefores of her choices. This is an engaging read, a definitive biography, facilitated by Joan’s cooperation in the telling. But thankfully it is by no means the last word on/from a woman who is still in the throes of a busy, productive, and challenging life.

Sherr, Lynn. SALLY RIDE: AMERICA’S FIRST WOMEN IN SPACE. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2014 (374 pages, $18.62).

This is a marvelously written, highly informative, and deeply touching story of an American hero who changed forever what an astronaut looks like. Sally Ride’s commitment to STEM education for girls based on the highest quality science shines brightly. Too bad society failed to accept the range of ways women love. Abolishing heterosexism is as fitting a way to honor her memory as naming a ship or lunar impact site for her.

Solberg, Randi O., editor. HEAR OUR VOICES: CHRISTIAN LESBIANS IN EUROPE TELLING THEIR STORIES. Netherlands: Esuberanza Publishing, 2014 (209 pages, $12.50)

Christian lesbians in Europe have many stories to tell. WATER friends Maria Moser, Lideke In’t Veld, Inga Mielitz, and others show the many ways women love well and do justice. Living Apart Together (LAT) is a common European lifestyle others might usefully consider. Lots of spiritual richness here. We applaud them!

Taylor, Sandra, and Hazel Barnes, editors. AND GOD SAW IT ALL WAS VERY GOOD: CATHOLIC LGBT PEOPLE IN EUROPE TELLING THEIR STORIES. Netherlands: Esuberanza Publishing, 2015 (201 pages, $16.50).

Stories from European LGBT people demonstrate the variety of experiences, none of them happy. Consistent in the collection is the Roman Catholic Church’s loss of the full potential of each and every one of these fine people. Happily, the world is bigger than the church and the queer find their ways with style. Here’s hoping the institutional church might one day catch up.